NTNU Alumna Receives Prestigious International Award for Educational Contributions
Sharon I-Hua Hsieh, an alumna of the 2004 master's program in English Language and Literature at NTNU, has been awarded the Gill Jacot-Guillarmod Award by the U.S.-based Lois Roth Foundation for her contributions to international education and cultural exchanges.
The award ceremony took place in November in Washington, D.C., where Hsieh was presented with the award by Lee Satterfield, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), and Skyler J. Arndt-Briggs, chairperson of the Lois Roth Foundation. The award recognizes Hsieh's work in promoting educational and cultural understanding between Taiwan and the United States. Hsieh was one of two recipients of this global honor this year.
Established by the Lois Roth Foundation and the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Education and Cultural Exchange, the award annually acknowledges individuals who excel in education and culture. It commemorates Lois Roth, a former U.S. diplomat noted for her contributions to intercultural cooperation.
Hsieh currently works as a senior educational and cultural policy researcher at the American Institute in Taiwan. She has played a pivotal role in strengthening the US-Taiwan Education Initiative, improving academic exchanges, and English language teaching partnerships between the two countries. Under her leadership, the Fulbright Program, administered by the Taiwan Academic Exchange Foundation, has grown significantly.
In addition to her current achievements, Hsieh has developed a strategic plan for the Taiwan-US Education Initiative, aiming to establish it as a key element of bilateral relations. Her work has been instrumental in enhancing people-to-people ties, securing additional funding, and expanding partnerships. These efforts have notably advanced Taiwan’s Fulbright Foundation for Scholarly Exchange program and the English Teaching Assistant Program.
The U.S.-Taiwan Education Initiative, central to Hsieh's work, seeks to increase access to Chinese and English language instruction while promoting academic and intellectual freedom. The initiative emphasizes Taiwan's role in providing Chinese language instruction to Americans and learners globally, supporting the training of Chinese language instructors and studies in Taiwan.